The Mission Statement of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Youth Fellowship is "To walk with youth in their journey to know Christ by creating an environment in which youth can experience Christian communion to hear the gospel to know God's love and to respond in faith by loving and serving others...for in all of this we are making disciples of Jesus Christ."

In John Chapter 5:1-15 Jesus comes to Jerusalem on the Sabbath and sees a man who has been crippled for thirty eight years. Jesus asks the man if he would like to be healed. The man replies, “I can’t be healed because I have no friends to take me to the pool where healing is found.” Jesus doesn’t say much more, but his words are profound. He says, “Take your mat, get up, and walk.” And the man, who hadn’t walked in thirty eight years, takes up his mat and walks away restored.

In a lot of ways the Youth Ministry at Hatteras UMC is like this story in the Bible. Teenagers today face more disinformation about faith, morals, life, and happiness than any generation before them. They are inundated with ungodly images every minute of the day. The world tells them that to get ahead you have to work hard and make money no matter what the consequences may be. Media tells them that if they look a certain way, act a certain way, dress a certain way, and project the right image then and only then are they are a winner.

Our purpose is to be a vehicle through which the love of Christ can be shown in a real-life way to teens. We are here to travel on a journey towards Christ with them, to love them as Christ loves them.

Teenagers, just like the crippled man in John 5, often times feel like they are all alone, as if there is no one to help them figure out the mess around them.  They feel hopeless. They know there has to be an answer somewhere, but it seems impossible to get to, just as the pool seemed impossible for the crippled man to get to. We are here to show teens on Hatteras Island that Christ is what they are searching for to heal their pain and confusion. His desire is for them to get up and walk out of the mess into His light and truth. Our goal is to do this like Jesus did, by being a friend, meeting people where they are, and helping them to find their purpose in Christ.

Our vision is that God will work through the lives of teenagers on Hatteras, so that they grow into godly men and women of God who embrace the gift of life given them by Christ, and use their lives for His glory.  We want to see these young men and women walk away from the spiritual crippledness of their generation into the light of Christ.

Our ministry is currently involved with the following activities:

Sunday night meetings 7:00-8:30: Hang-out, meet new people, eat good food, play crazy wacky games, and experience the good life Christ intended for us: fellowship with one another and finding truth in Christ.

Bible Study: Learn more about who Jesus is and what He wants to do in your life. Study God’s Living Word, and be totally transformed!

Small Group Study: Want more in-depth discussions about issues that you face in your life? Want to know what the scripture says about these things? Come be a part of a small group study geared towards the questions you have and the answers you need!

Fellowship Retreats: Meet other Christian teenagers, be a light to those who want to know what this “Christianity” thing is all about, and have a blast! Retreats have included Kings Dominion, Water Country USA, Shopping in Nags Head, Busch Gardens, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, and more!

Spiritual Formation Retreats: Take a week of your life and devote it to learning more about Christ. Be prepared to grow in ways that you never imagined! Come with us to Lake Junaluska, Camp Donlee, and on mission trips to North Carolina and beyond. Learn to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world and in your own community.

Island Activities: Service Projects, fundraisers, Youth Sunday, concerts, bowling, and more! God has called us to be a people of joy. Come celebrate with us the joy of giving and celebrating his love!

For more information about UMYF please contact Kate Pullen, Youth Director, 252-995-9908 or email me.